Deputy Prime Minister and National Disaster Management Committee chairman Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said on Thursday that the floods were expected to be more severe than in 2014, when nearly a quarter of a million people were forced from their homes.
“Given the severity of the situation, all parties have been mobilised to ensure the safety and welfare of flood victims,” he was quoted as saying by state news agency Bernama.
The government has deployed more than 82,000 security personnel as well as rescue boats, four-wheel drive vehicles and helicopters, Ahmad Zahid said.
The national railway operator KTM Berhad said in a Facebook post it had suspended nine train routes on the east coast due to floods.
Amid the floods, Kelantan’s tourism, culture, arts and heritage committee chairman Kamarudin Md Noor has drawn flak for saying he plans to attract tourists during the monsoon season by promoting activities such as surfing.
The intention is to help businesses affected during the monsoon season, but he has come under criticism, with people online criticising his comments as insensitive and an embarrassment.
